


shine in the dark places (where the street lamps are broken)

by aletterinthenameofsanity



Series: hold my hand (i can hear the ghost calling) [14]
Category: Captain America (Movies), Iron Man (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Anxiety Attacks, Bisexual Male Character, Brotherhood, Bucky Barnes Needs a Hug, Character Study, Interracial Relationship, James "Rhodey" Rhodes & Tony Stark Friendship, LGBTQ Character of Color, M/M, Not Steve Friendly, POV James "Rhodey" Rhodes, Protective James "Rhodey" Rhodes, Team as Family, Tony Stark Needs a Hug
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-02
Updated: 2018-05-02
Packaged: 2019-05-01 01:06:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 715
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14509161
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aletterinthenameofsanity/pseuds/aletterinthenameofsanity
Summary: When he and James begin to become close friends, start to inch close to becoming more than friends, Rhodey is wary. If James defends Steve, it strikes James off the list. You can't betray Rhodey’s best friend and then expect for him to like you.But he never does. James is quiet and understanding, eyes wide open in wonder and curiosity far more than his fist is ever clenched close in anger.When Rhodey holds James in his arms after a dissociative episode, after a flashback, after a panic attack, he cannot pretend to know what horrors the man went through under HYDRA’s rule. He will never pretend to understand what it’s like to hold the memories of a monster in his head, but he can understand what it’s like to enter a war zone, to be ready to die for your country and friends.(What he knows is this- the feeling of flying, of landing, of ordering troops and following orders, of being a soldier and a patriot and a big brother. And he knows that James Barnes knows many of these things as well.)Not Steve Friendly.





	shine in the dark places (where the street lamps are broken)

**Author's Note:**

> Title is from "Shine" by Shane Koyczan.

Steve Rogers is a dick, plain and simple. James Rhodes was never his friend, never even trusted him, so he has no preconceived prejudices in his favor.

When Rogers hurts Rhodey’s little brother, causes the words to catch in Tony's throat and bruises to stain his chest, he is ready to destroy the captain.

Rogers is lucky that Tony is self-sacrificing to the point of martyrdom. He is lucky that Tony won't let any of them- Pepper, Natasha, Sam, Rhodey himself- take their distaste out on this son of a bitch who shows the absolute most appalling sense of loyalty that Rhodey has ever seen in a soldier.

(Sometimes he thinks that Tony actually realizes this- how willing his family is to not only protect him, but to  _ kill  _ for him. Rhodey thinks that Tony purposely tries to avoid this truth as much as he can.)

\---

When he first meets James Barnes, the man's hands are shaking.

“I'm sorry,” he says, voice low and gruff in a way that speaks to how unused he is to speaking. “About what we did to Tony.”

Rhodey is far too familiar with what soldiers do under orders, much less what they can do under mind control. He doesn’t blame Bucky for protecting himself against a man he had never met, a man who was attacking him. (He knows Tony can be impulsive and can makes rash decisions. It’s one of Tony’s greatest flaws, and Rhodey is fully aware of it.) “No need to apologize for what you did,” Rhodey says, “It’s Rogers that I’m pissed at.”

“Understandable,” James says.

\---

(Rhodey is not a perfect soldier, but he tries to be a good man. He funnels his energy into his duties to his nation and to his family- his mother, Tony, Pepper, his uncle Ray, and now Sam. 

Rhodey can tell that James is trying to accomplish the same thing. He can see the former winter soldier struggling to defrost and be a good man again.)

\---

Rhodey sees Sam holding Tony close during movie nights, Sam’s arm slung casually around Tony’s shoulder, Tony curled into Sam's side, and laughter upon both of their lips. He sees the way they share that same half-smile, the way they fanboy over the Falcon wings, Star Trek Discovery (apparently the minority representation is, and he quotes, “balls out awesome, Rhodey, like what in the name of Spock’s holy eyebrows"), and Law & Order. He sees how in love they are, five years out. He sees them as the broken men and the superheroes they are.

And he will do anything to keep them both happy.

\---

When he and James begin to become close friends, start to inch close to becoming more than friends, Rhodey is wary. If James defends Steve, it strikes James off the list. You can't betray Rhodey’s best friend and then expect for him to like you.

But he never does. James is quiet and understanding, eyes wide open in wonder and curiosity far more than his fist is ever clenched close in anger. 

When Rhodey holds James in his arms after a dissociative episode, after a flashback, after a panic attack, he cannot pretend to know what horrors the man went through under HYDRA’s rule. He will never pretend to understand what it’s like to hold the memories of a monster in his head, but he  _ can  _ understand what it’s like to enter a war zone, to be ready to die for your country and friends.

(What he knows is this- the feeling of flying, of landing, of ordering troops and following orders, of being a soldier and a patriot and a big brother. And he knows that James Barnes knows many of these things as well.)

When Rhodey kisses a man outside of Sandra’s Diner, he holds no pretences. He does not delude himself that he can fix Bucky Barnes with a few dates and a few kisses.

What he does believe, though, is that he can help. He can support Bucky, if Bucky needs it. He can easily fall in love with this man who has been through hell and back, but who is not broken like the world says he is.

This man is now part of Rhodey’s family, and that means more than words can say. 


End file.
